Chapter 60: Whipping

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?”

A man’s scream tore through the air.

It wasn’t just one voice—there were several, overlapping, rising and breaking in waves of agony.

The sharp crack of whips slicing through the air rang out with an eerie, rhythmic chill, and the metallic scent of blood spread thickly across the surroundings.

“…It’s certainly not a pleasant sight.”

King Yarkies had declared the independence of the Kingdom of Poln.

With that declaration, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lunoa who had attempted to assault a woman were sentenced under the laws of Poln to the punishment of whipping. And so, in a long-abandoned execution ground once meant for public spectacle, they were now being made into an example.

“…Oh…”

“It’s been a long time…”

“So those are… soldiers of the Kingdom of Lunoa…”

With each lash, flesh split open, blood sprayed, and screams followed.

There was nothing about the scene that could be called pleasant.

And yet, the citizens of Warmir had gathered at the execution ground in droves to witness it. It was clear they harbored deep feelings toward the soldiers of Lunoa.

Perhaps there was a certain grim satisfaction in watching those very soldiers—who had once held power over them—now being punished by the hands of the Kingdom of Poln. The expressions on the faces of Warmir’s residents, as they watched the brutal spectacle unfold, were not particularly dark.

(…We need to make sure they don’t underestimate us.)

Next time we left Warmir for another city, it might be better to move in a large-scale march.

“Haa…”

Letting out a quiet sigh, I found myself turning my gaze ever so slightly away from reality.

……Right before my eyes, men who had fought and risked their lives for the Kingdom of Lunoa—foolish though their actions may have been—were screaming in agony. Bleeding. Subjected to what could only be described as torture disguised as punishment.

There was no way I could truly believe this was right.

“……”

And yet, the scene before me had come about because of my own actions.

I had been in a position where I could have stopped Her Highness Princess Emma’s decision. If I had firmly opposed her, she might have reconsidered.

But I hadn’t.

“…I’ve gotten used to it, haven’t I?”

Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time I had witnessed whipping.

Once, when I had visited a nation with a far less developed level of civilization, I had seen it carried out as punishment. Back then, the sheer brutality of the scene had made me vomit. I couldn’t even watch it to the end.

And yet now, I was able to stand here and calmly watch the entire thing unfold.

“……”

At the very least, it was my duty to see it through to the end.

Blending in as just another member of the crowd, I remained in disguise, my eyes fixed on the execution ground.

In the past, there had been executioners with true skill—professionals capable of administering such a brutal punishment while ensuring the condemned would not die.

But decades had passed since whipping had last been carried out here.

Naturally, there was no one left with any real experience.

Without knowing how to hold back, the executioners simply swung the whip with reckless force. As a result, after just a little over twenty lashes, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lunoa were pushed to the brink of death, and the punishment had to be halted midway.

“So that is what whipping looks like.”

After the punishment ended, I regrouped with Her Highness Princess Emma.

Here, it was she who stood at the forefront. To diminish my own achievements, even slightly, and elevate hers instead, I had made a point of doing as little as possible lately. It wasn’t as though I had any particular ambition for promotion, nor did I wish to make enemies of the upper ranks of the military.

As the representative of the Kingdom of Lunoa, it was Her Highness who had been given the role of witnessing the punishment.

“You were watching as well, weren’t you?”

“Yes… it’s not something I could simply look away from.”

“…That’s true. I had a duty to see it through. It was… worse than I had imagined.”

Her Highness lowered her gaze, speaking in a subdued tone, her usual composure tinged with a rare hint of dejection.

“Are you… disappointed in me, I wonder? For making a choice most would never make?”

“We are at war. A commander must make one or two ruthless decisions—that much is to be expected. Rather than that, I would prefer you feel some guilt over unlawfully detaining someone who is, at least on paper, a brigadier general.”

It probably wasn’t wise to dig too deeply into this matter.

…And frankly, it wasn’t something I particularly wanted to talk about either.

“Hmph! I still don’t think I was wrong about that! If anything, it’s your fault for running off to the front lines so carelessly!”

“…Hm?”

“It may have been partly my own selfish desire, but that aside, you need to properly understand your position! You’re a brigadier general! Why do you think those above entrusted you with that rank!? It’s certainly not so you can go charging off to the front lines yourself!”

“Hm?”

“Don’t play dumb!”

Yes, this was more like it.

This was the usual atmosphere between Her Highness Princess Emma and me—this back-and-forth, this clash of words. A command center wavering in its own decisions… that would never be acceptable.

Doubt was not something to be shown openly.

“Th-this is urgent!”

Just as I was enjoying that familiar exchange, a messenger burst into the office, practically stumbling through the door.

“What is—”

Slightly irritated by the messenger’s sudden and improper entrance, Her Highness began to question him—

—but before she could even finish, the messenger blurted out his report.

“A report just came in—the western front has been breached!?”

“…What?”

“…Excuse me?”

It was more than enough to completely short-circuit both my mind and Her Highness Princess Emma’s.